Q: I planted a variegated rubber tree plant in my outdoor flowerpots this summer. It grew really well and is now too tall for where I need to put it in the house. It didn't branch. It just has one trunk with big white, red and green leaves. What will happen if I cut it off at a more appropriate height?

A: Even though it would be better to prune it next spring, just before it goes out again for the summer, you can cut it back now. Every place there is a leaf, there is a bud for a new branch. Cutting off the top will allow some of those buds to start growing.

Make the cut 1/4-1/2 inch above one of the leaves. Several of the buds below that point should start growing. If the plant is a in a sunny location, the new growth should be healthy. If the location is too dark, the new growth may be spindly.

The top portion of the plant could become a new plant. Cut off the stem section below the lowest leaf and throw it away. Clip off the lowest three leaves and place the stem in a container with enough water to cover the three cut-off leaf buds. New roots may come from the base or from the areas where the leaves were removed. Put the whole thing in a bright, but not sunny location until roots appear.

Q: I am following your advice to put my amaryllis bulbs outdoors for the summer. They grew huge green leaves all summer long. The bulbs got bigger too. They are still looking good and the leaves are not turning yellow. I need to bring in my other plants. What do I do with the amaryllis bulbs?

A: Before they get too cold, bring them indoors. Don't water them for several months. The dryness will cause them to go dormant, which they need to do before they will flower again. They can be left in the pot and then in a couple of months start watering and they will bloom in four to six weeks. If you planted them in the garden or if you don't have the storage room for a bunch of dried out plant pots you can cut them back. Remove them from the pot or dig them up. Use scissors or a pruner and cut off the leaves at the top of the bulb and the roots off at the bottom. In a couple of months plant them again and start watering.

Q: We planted some variegated ivy vines in the spring. One branch on one of the vines has all white leaves. It has grown about 18 inches long. How can I propagate this white leafed section of vine? I don't think I have ever seen a whole plant of white leaves. Maybe I have a new variety.

A: If the plant is ivy, just lay the vine on wet paper towels and keep them damp. The plant will send out new roots along the vine or at each leaf node. Unfortunately, I don't think you will end up with a whole new plant with only white leaves.

Plants need green chlorophyll molecules to convert sunlight and nutrients into carbohydrates and other compounds. Plants with other colored leaves still have a lot of chlorophyll. The white section of a leaf is not as healthy as a green section of a leaf, and it can't tolerate direct sunlight as well. An all-white leafed branch can grow because of the nutrients supplied to it by the other leaves on the plant. An all-white plant wouldn't be able to produce any photosynthetic compounds and I expect it would die once it is removed from the plant.

Email questions to Jeff Rugg at [email protected]. To find out more about Jeff Rugg and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.